Fagin, the evil character of Charles Dickens's novel of social protest, Oliver Twist, is the antithesis of someone like Atticus Finch who loves and appreciates the innocence and honesty of children. In Dickens's novel, Fagin is described as vile and repulsive in appearance: He is "a loathsome reptile" and he has "fangs that should have been a reptile's or a rat's" with "a fierce look and a threatening attitude."

In Chapter XVI, after Nancy retrieves Oliver from Mr. Brumlow's and returns him to Fagin, Fagin shows the boy no mercy. When Oliver, having been kidnapped again, begs Fagin to send back the books and the money to Mr. Brumlow so that he will not think that they have been stolen by Oliver, Fagin laughs at Oliver in his "passionate grief":

"You're right, Oliver, your're right; they will think you have stolen 'em. Ha! ha!" chuckled the Jew rubbing his hands; "it couldn't have happened better, if we had chosen our time!"

Fagin then threatens Oliver after dragging him into another room:

"So you wanted to get away, my dear, did you?" said the Jew, taking up a jagged and knotted club which lay ina a corner of the fireplace: "eh?"

"Wanted to get assistance; called for the police; did you?" sneered the Jew, catching the boy by the arm. "We'll cure yoiu of that, my young master."

The Jew inflicted a smart blow on Oliver's shoulders with the club; and was raising it for a second, when the girl, rushing forward, wrested it from his hand.